Now that your children have created detailed and engaging stories based on their own personal experiences, they can begin to build digital stories from them.
Digital stories combine the language skills of artful narrative with the impact of visual images, voice-over, and sound. The result is a video that share powerful stories through multiple media.
With this project, your students will learn to structure a visual story as a series of scenes, curate effective images to go with their narrative, write a script, design a storyboard, speak with emphasis, read by enunciating clearly for a voice recording, and edit all of these elements into a completed project.
Students will begin the scripting this week. In the coming week, they will need to gather images to add to their digital stories. These image files can be from scanned pictures or drawings, digital photographs, or copyright free or Creative Commons images available on the Internet. Similarly, any images used for the project should be available as copyright free or Creative Commons licenses. The images and sounds for the project can be gathered on a usb drive or imported to the device your child will use to make his or her digital project (see note about devices below).
A note about devices: Students will be allowed to use their own digital devices (iPads, laptops, smart phones, iPodTouch -- anything, basically that allows them to make use of apps for the project with your approval. In those cases, your emailed permission or a signed note will be required. The devices should have all images and desired applications already on them when digital editing begins in class. Students will bring their devices to my classroom for storage and use only on the days that digital recording and editing will occur (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week). Students must abide by all school rules and may pick up their devices at the end of the day. Other means for recording will also be available in class for those who do not choose to bring their own devices for the project.
Students are encouraged to choose from the following simple tools for creating their projects:
Animoto (private class account will be created) VoiceThread (teacher's account, access with teacher supervision) Xtranormal (private class account will be created) Screenchomp (iTunes app) Educreations (iTunes app)
Please email me with any questions or concerns, or to give permission for your child to use the apps made available in the classroom. I encourage you to work with your child to choose other appropriate apps -- many are available that I have not had a chance to try. See sources below for additional ideas.
We hope to create a private channel on TeacherTube for collecting and sharing the projects with the class.
Please copy the "form" below, complete it, and email your permission to sdavis@stmes.org. You can also print out the attachment, sign it, and have your child bring it to class.
Name:
Student:
Digital devices, if any, to be brought from home:
Applications to be used:
I have reviewed the parameters for the digital storytelling project and give my permission give permission for my child to use the tools and applications named above for his/her digital storytelling project for 5th-Grade Language Arts at St. Mark’s Episcopal School.
I understand the importance of responsible digital citizenship and have discussed with my child that other than images for which he or she has permission to use (such as those taken by a family member or by the student), only copyright-free or images or music with Creative Commons licensing may be used for the project.
I also understand that some finished projects will be uploaded to a private channel on TeacherTube for viewing by the class.
I look forward to seeing a version of the final project. Please email me at the address given below with information on how to view it.
Now that your children have created detailed and engaging stories based on their own personal experiences, they can begin to build digital stories from them.
Digital stories combine the language skills of artful narrative with the impact of visual images, voice-over, and sound. The result is a video that share powerful stories through multiple media.
With this project, your students will learn to structure a visual story as a series of scenes, curate effective images to go with their narrative, write a script, design a storyboard, speak with emphasis, read by enunciating clearly for a voice recording, and edit all of these elements into a completed project.
Students will begin the scripting this week. In the coming week, they will need to gather images to add to their digital stories. These image files can be from scanned pictures or drawings, digital photographs, or copyright free or Creative Commons images available on the Internet. Similarly, any images used for the project should be available as copyright free or Creative Commons licenses. The images and sounds for the project can be gathered on a usb drive or imported to the device your child will use to make his or her digital project (see note about devices below).
More about Creative Commons Images
More about Creative Commons Music
A note about devices: Students will be allowed to use their own digital devices (iPads, laptops, smart phones, iPodTouch -- anything, basically that allows them to make use of apps for the project with your approval. In those cases, your emailed permission or a signed note will be required. The devices should have all images and desired applications already on them when digital editing begins in class. Students will bring their devices to my classroom for storage and use only on the days that digital recording and editing will occur (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of next week). Students must abide by all school rules and may pick up their devices at the end of the day. Other means for recording will also be available in class for those who do not choose to bring their own devices for the project.
Students are encouraged to choose from the following simple tools for creating their projects:
Animoto (private class account will be created)
VoiceThread (teacher's account, access with teacher supervision)
Xtranormal (private class account will be created)
Screenchomp (iTunes app)
Educreations (iTunes app)
Please email me with any questions or concerns, or to give permission for your child to use the apps made available in the classroom. I encourage you to work with your child to choose other appropriate apps -- many are available that I have not had a chance to try. See sources below for additional ideas.
We hope to create a private channel on TeacherTube for collecting and sharing the projects with the class.
Other Sources
Tracy Watanabe, "Digital Storytelling and Stories with the iPad"
Kathy Shrock's Guide to Everything: Digital Storytelling
Permission:
Please copy the "form" below, complete it, and email your permission to sdavis@stmes.org. You can also print out the attachment, sign it, and have your child bring it to class.
Name:
Student:
Digital devices, if any, to be brought from home:
Applications to be used:
I look forward to seeing a version of the final project. Please email me at the address given below with information on how to view it.
Signature:
Email address:
Date: